A partnership between American Airlines and TLC Jet will enable private jet charter fliers to earn miles and status in the AAdvantage loyalty program. Miles can be used for travel on oneworld airlines, including British Airways, Japan Airlines, QANTAS and Cathay Pacific Airways.

TLC Jet

American Airlines is re-entering the private jet market nearly 30 years after selling its interest in fractional operator Flexjet and FBO chain AMR Combs. Both businesses were sold in deals that closed during 1998.

Today's announcement pairs American with TLC Jet.

American Airlines Vice Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer Stephen Johnson said in the announcement, "Today’s travelers are seeking more premium experiences. As a leading premium airline, we're committed to exploring new ways we can elevate the journey for our customers both in the services we offer and those of our partners."

The agreement features no investments. It instead revolves around the private jet company’s participation in the airline's AAdvantage loyalty program where flyers will earn one mile and one loyalty point for each dollar they spend for charter flights with TLC Jet.

American now becomes the second major U.S. airline trying to connect the dots with that sliver of high-net-worth flyers and C-level executives that toggle between private aviation and scheduled airlines.

According to Simple Flying, American has 115 million members in AAdvantage, the first major frequent flyer program, launched back in 1981.

While few of those of flyers have the finances to fly privately, research by Private Jet Card Comparisons shows 90% of private flyers also use scheduled airlines.

The private jet market, comprising owners of aircraft, corporate jet flyers, fractional-share owners with companies such as NetJets and Flexjet, charter and jet card customers is estimated at around 150,000 users.

A McKinsey analysis conducted at the outset of the Covid pandemic suggested as many as 1.6 million U.S. households and thousands of more businesses have the finances to benefit from private aviation access.

Still, the charter market, which includes prepaid jet cards, is relatively small and fragmented. The total U.S. private jet charter market with over 600 operators, mainly privately held companies, had annual revenues estimated at around $10 billion in 2025. Last year, American Airlines alone had $54.6 billion in revenues.

Delta Air Lines has most prominently been seeking crack the code. It started with Delta Air Elite, when it found itself in the business after it acquired Comair in 1999, then Delta Private Jets, a rebrand following its 2010 acquisition of Segrave Aviation, and currently, via Wheels Up, which bought Delta Private Jets in 2020, and of which the Atlanta-based airline is the largest shareholder.

Private flyers, who are often business owners, can influence corporate contracts and when they fly on the scheduled airlines typically buy the most expensive tickets. Delta is using its sales force to pitch Wheels Up access to corporate customers as part of their relationship.

TLC Jet Founder and President Justin Firestone says many of his customers are already points collectors. He says, they accumulate large numbers of points through the companies they own using affinity credit cards for business purchases.

Firestone says they normally fly first and business class when they travel with the airlines, but perhaps not enough to earn top-level status. He believes the earnings will drive premium market share to American.

The Points Guy ranked AAdvantage as "Best U.S. Airline Loyalty Program" and Executive Platinum as "Best U.S. Airline Elite Status."

The agreement enables TLC Jet customers to earn an AAdvantage point for each dollar they spend on private charter flights. Regular flyers, Firestone says, spend around $250,000 per year on charter flights.

To achieve Executive Platinum Status, a member of AAdvantage must earn 200,000 loyalty points. Per the American Airlines website, members can redeem a one-way business-class ticket between New York and London for as few as 57,500 miles.

American is part of the oneworld alliance, enabling AAdvantage members to use miles for travel in the first-class cabins of British Airways, Japan Airlines, QANTAS, Cathay Pacific, and Qatar Airways among others.

When American exited private aviation, then Chairman and CEO Don Carty said, "We are not selling them because they are unsuccessful, but because their activities are not part of our strategic focus on the airline group and the Sabre group."

Since that time, private aviation has expanded its reach, powered in part by Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway after buying NetJets in 1998 and then by the proliferation of jet cards, a way to prepay for private flights at a fixed rate.

TLC Jet is part of the TLC Aviation portfolio, which is backed by 313 Equity Partners. The group includes a private jet charter brokerage, a charter operator, maintenance, and is an authorized Starlink dealer.

Firestone says the immediate synergy with American centers around Florida. TLC Jet is based at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, one of the busiest private airports in the U.S.

American operates one of its most important hubs at Miami International Airport. The Sunshine State ranks as the country’s largest private aviation market accounting for nearly 12% of all activity.

Firestone says for American customers who arrive on the airline from South and Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico and Europe they will soon be offered the ability to book last-mile charter flights to destinations American doesn’t offer connections with while adding miles to their AAdvantage accounts.

Firestone launched the charter division for TLC last year. He was a co-founder at Wheels Up in 2013. He served in leadership at Marquis Jet Partners, one of the early jet card pioneers, before moving to Hong Kong in 2007 and launching Asia Jet, the first jet card program offered in that part of the world.

Firestone says discussions with American came after leaving a consulting position with the airline to launch TLC Jet. American had been rebuilding its corporate sales team while looking to enhance its position against Delta and United for premium travelers.

"The American executives were intrigued. They knew that there is crossover from private flyers to the airlines. They know that private aviation users influence corporate travel relationships. They know that the private aviation user flies in the premium cabins and influence their friends. Still, they understood that private aviation wasn’t their core business, so what TLC Jet is offering is really similar to the benefits they get from their oneworld partners. We are filling a gap." Firestone says.

Up until now the case for linking airlines and private jet companies has yet to be proven out.

United abandoned Avolar, which was being set up to compete with NetJets, back in 2002, following the travel downturn after the 9-11 terrorist attacks and pressure from its unions. It currently enables members of its MileagePlus program to get credits from JSX, which operates as a semi-private airline selling seats on scheduled flights between private terminals.

Lufthansa launched a private jet arm with its own aircraft, then formed an alliance with NetJets in Europe before exiting the market in 2022. Air France had a partnership with a private jet operator, however that company, Wijet, folded.

Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways each have domestic private aviation partnerships. Korean Air and Emirates Airlines have a handful of private jets, while Qatar Airways operates a fleet of ultra-long-range Gulfstream jets via its Qatar Executive subsidiary.

After decades of fits and starts, Delta now says it is finally fitting the puzzle pieces together. Corporate program revenues at Wheels Up, led by contacts from the airline’s sales team, is the fastest growth segment for the private jet company. Delta has also been pitching flyers in its Delta One premium cabin to buy charter flights with Wheels Up after landing in Europe for travel to a secondary airport. Last year, Wheels Up introduced an online process where its customers can use their deposit funds to book flights on Delta.

Firestone says there are "multiple more layers" of the TLC Jet partnership with American Airlines currently under development.